Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson – and to Morgan Fairchild, who stars as America’s favorite man trap in the stage version of the “The Graduate,” the 1967 film about a recent college graduate who is seduced by his girlfriend’s mother.
The show, which opens Tuesday for eight performances at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, played Broadway in 2002, where Kathleen Turner’s famous nude scene made it a box-office hit if not quite a critical success.
Fairchild is the porcelain-skinned actress who is at home playing comedy and sultry vixens. Her TV credits are extensive, including “Flamingo Road,” “Dallas” and “Falcon Crest,” and more recently on commercials for Old Navy and as Chandler’s mother on “Friends.” She’s also done films and stage work, including the current tour of “The Graduate.”
Nathan Corddry, a veteran stage and television actor, plays Benjamin Braddock, the young man who gets into a heap of trouble when he agrees to help Mrs. Robinson with her zipper.
Elaine Robinson, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter and Benjamin’s girlfriend, is played by stage actress Winslow Corbett.
“The Graduate” is adapted by Terry Johnson, from the novel by Charles Webb and the screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, and features the famous Simon and Garfunkel music. Performances continue through May 1.
You wacky wabbit: Harvey, the man-sized rabbit with a tipsy friend named Elwood P. Dowd, shows up in Monroe this weekend courtesy of Off The Wall Theatre.
Mary Chase won a Pulitizer Prize for “Harvey,” her comic classic about a 6-foot-tall rabbit who is invisible to everyone but Elwood – a situation that results in endless possibilities for comedy.
The mayhem begins when Elwood begins introducing his friend to guests at a dinner party and Elwood’s sister, Veta, blows her top. She’s anxious to find a suitable mate for her daughter, Myrtle Mae, and it would be a lot better if she could get Elwood – and Harvey – safely out of the picture.
How about a nice sanitarium?
This turns out to be bad idea but with happy results.
A gentle tribute to eccentricity, “Harvey” is a staple of community theater and the 1950 movie version starring Jimmy Stewart is a classic.
Curt Shriner stars as Elwood, with Marsha Schroeder playing Veta and Monica Chilton as Myrtle Mae.
“Harvey” opens tonight and runs weekends through May 8 at the Frank Wagner Memorial Auditorium in Monroe.
“The Mystery of Irma Vep”: Intiman Theatre opens its 33rd season on Wednesday with Charles Ludlam’s “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” a Gothic spoof that was the darling of the New York stage when it opened in 1984.
The quick-paced comedy is a merry mix of farce and vaudeville, satire and melodrama, inspired by the sensational and often gruesome “Penny Dreadfuls” of Victorian England.
It’s a tour-de-force for the two actors who portray eight characters, including men, women and monsters, and celebrates and satirizes horror movies, classic literature and the conventions of theatre itself.
Ludlam, who died in 1987, wrote more than 30 plays, of which “The Mystery of Irma Vep” is his most popular and most honored.
Intiman’s production stars Mark Anders and Richard Ruiz with direction by Jonathan Moscon. Performances continue through May 22 at Intiman Playhouse, Seattle Center.
Morgan Fairchild stars as Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate” at the Paramount Theatre.
LEFT: Curt Shriner is Elwood P. Dowd in the Off The Wall Theatre production of “Harvey,” opening tonight in Monroe.
BELOW: Monica Chilton (left) portrays Myrtle Mae and Marsha Schroeder plays Veta in “Harvey.”
Chris Bennion photo
Mark Anders (left) and Richard Ruiz star in “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” opening Wednesday at Intiman Theatre.
Where to see it
“The Graduate”: Tuesday through May 1 at the Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle. Tickets at Ticketmaster, 206-292-ARTS and online at www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.
“Harvey”: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through May 8 at the Frank Wagner Memorial Auditorium, 639 W. Main, Monroe. Tickets, $8 to $10, at the door and in advance at Fiddler’s Bluff Coffee Co., 102 W. Main St., and Sun on Sea Tanning, 14961 Chain Lake Road, Monroe. 360-863-1663.
“The Mystery of Irma Vep”: Wednesday through May 22 at Intiman Playhouse, Seattle Center. Tickets, 206-269-1900, www.intiman.org.
Where to see it
“The Graduate”: Tuesday through May 1 at the Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle. Ticketmaster, 206-292-ARTS, or www.broad- wayacrossamerica.com.
“Harvey”: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through May 8 at Frank Wagner Memorial Auditorium, 639 W. Main, Monroe. $8 to $10, at the door and in advance at Fiddler’s Bluff Coffee Co., 102 W. Main St., and Sun on Sea Tanning, 14961 Chain Lake Road, Monroe. 360-863-1663.
“The Mystery of Irma Vep”: Wednesday through May 22 at Intiman Playhouse, Seattle Center. 206-269-1900, www.intiman.org.
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